Be More Efficient and Smarter. It’s Simple.

January 16, 2014

Daily Read- Be More Efficient and Smarter. It’s Simple.

Resolutions and goals are great for new beginnings and building a better life, but unrealistic aspirations or over-dramatic life changes amount to much more than disappointment. If you really want to win back time and get better at your job, here are four subtle, powerful strategies that don’t require the purchase of any gym equipment.

Read Beyond Your RSS Feed (And Comfort Zone). It’s very easy to lurk only within your industry, but a clear understanding of the business world comes only from a wider view. What that means: Begin reading books and blogs with no immediate tie to your daily work.

Stop Being Positive. If your colleagues or clients have a suggestion you don’t like, say so and say why, put as much effort into a negative proposal as you would into a positive one. The truth is that if you can weigh the negatives against the positives intelligently and critically, you can become far more powerful than you would be using smiles alone.

Share More Documents. Cancel More Brainstorms. Brainstorms are venomous. Ironically, they sap brain power, as groups of people sit around sharing ideas that might work or could do something. In many cases they’re a chance for egos to be fluffed. If someone wants to brainstorm, create a Google document and ask them to dump their ideas in there.

Force Your Clients To Talk Less. Every client wants to talk, but this can sap precious time. Have in your mind a time limit (you can even warn them in advance) and when the time is up, tell them that they can finish the question or line or thought (or you can) and then you’re done. Some clients may hate you for it. The key is to make it clear what you’re doing: That back-and-forth Q&A session you’re having with them is taking up time when you could be doing something for them.